The unprecedented scale of the climate crisis requires all sectors, all constituencies and all of us to act. Trade Day during COP28 puts a focus on accelerating climate action through trade, using coordinated and inclusive approaches to ensure a just transition to a low-carbon economy.
This high-level event, jointly organized by the WTO, UNCTAD and ITC, will engage the Coalition of Trade Ministers for Climate, other Ministers and Heads of Agencies on fostering inclusive international cooperation and collective action to promote a positive trade contribution to the climate agenda.
The event will highlight the importance of Ministerial leadership for inclusive international cooperation on trade, climate and sustainable development. The Coalition and participating Ministers will be invited to share their views and priorities for trade and investment to foster the diffusion, development, accessibility and uptake of goods, services and technologies that support climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as trade-related strategies supportive of developing and least developed countries in the climate transiton.
Heads of Agencies will share their views on how their organizations are supporting trade-related cooperation for climate action as well as the concrete trade tools that they are bringing to COP28 to foster climate action, transitions, and climate-resilient development on the ground.
In particular the discussion will focus interalia on:
- State of play and prospects of international trade initiatives aiming at supporting the achievements of global climate objectives;
- Identification of specific trade tools and policies that can be mobilised in support of climate objectives;
- Role of international organizations in supporting cooperation and coherence for a just transition; and
- Capacity building to support MSMEs, developing and least-developed economies to respond and integrate into green supply chains
This event will be live streamed
Programme
Moderator:
- Ms. Monica Araya, Executive Director for International Affairs at the European Climate
Foundation
Ministerial Coalition/Ministerial perspectives: (30 minutes)
Minister/s representing the Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate on the topic "Leading by example: A concrete contribution of trade policy for climate"
- Hon. Minister Rebecca Miano, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry of Kenya
- H.E. Mr Germán Umaña Mendoza, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia
- Hon. Rohey John Manjang, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, The Gambia
- H.E. Mr José Valencia, Ambassador of Ecuador to the WTO
- Ms Dora Correia, Deputy Director-General, DG Trade, European Commission
Sharing perspectives and views from trade-related international organizations (30 minutes)
- Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, WTO
- Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UNCTAD
- Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, ITC
- John Denton, Secretary General, ICC
- (Concluding remarks) Mr. Selwin Hart, Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on Climate Action
Rebeca Grynspan, of Costa Rica, became UNCTAD's eighth Secretary-General on 13 September 2021 and is the first woman to lead the organization.
Prior to her UNCTAD appointment, she was the Ibero-American secretary-general from 2014 to 2021, also the first woman to head the organization. During her mandate, she has coordinated the 22-member Iberoamerican Conference and led four key summits of Heads of State and Government.
In 2010 she was appointed Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and prior to that was UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Prior to joining the United Nations, Ms. Grynspan served as Vice-President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998. She was also Minister of Housing, Minister Coordinator of Economic and Social Affairs, and Deputy Minister of Finance. In 2021 she was named Special International Advisor to the newly created Economic and Social Council of Argentina and invited to join as member of the G20 High-Level Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
In addition to her experience as a lecturer and advisor to several international organizations, she has been actively involved in key United Nations initiatives, such as the Millennium Project's Task Force on Poverty and Economic Development and the High-level Panel on Financing for Development.
In 2014 and 2015, she was recognized as one of the 50 leading intellectuals of Latin America. And she was recognized as one of the 100 most powerful women in Central America by Forbes magazine.
Ms Grynspan holds a degree in Economics by the University of Costa Rica and a MSc in Economics by the University of Sussex. She has been awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa by the University of Salamanca, the University of Extremadura and the European University of Madrid in recognition of her outstanding professional achievements.
28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28)
30 November to 12 December 2023, Expo City, Dubai
UN Climate Change Conference
30 Nov - 12 Dec 2023
COP28 Trade House Pavilion Programme
1-12 December 2023, Expo City, Dubai
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